The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-03
Southern Railroads Ask the C0mmls
siOners for Mercy.
rHE ATLANTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BACKS THEIR
PETITION
A P,psr Read Presenting A vis~ Of the Situation
seuth--Raiirood Men Explain the Need tor
oiscriwinations In Freight Rates


Spaulding and Mr.. =. +. Woodson, the
committee appointed by the Atlanta
Chamber of Commerce To confer with
the Southern Railway and Steamship AS
sociation in seeking such liberal inter
pretation or modification of the opera
ton of the Interstate Commerce Act as
may ae deemed necessary for the protec-
ton of the manufacturing and CONNER
cial interests of this and the other South
ern cities. were granted a hearing. Gov
ernor Bullock, speaking for his associ-
ates and himself, thanked the Comnis-
sion for the opportunity afforded ami
read the following paper:
To the Hon. Interstate Commissioners:
..GENTLEMEN--We the undersigned,
committee appointed by the Atlanta
Chamber of Commerce for that purpose,
respectfully represent to your honorable
body that the territory covered by the
Southern Railway and Steamship Asso-
citation is comparatively sparsely popuia-
ted and that the trade centers or dlstribu-
tive cities within that territory are
widely separated, and therefore that the
rule which would apply to the lines IN
the more populOus sections Of the coun-
try would be disastrous to us. The
rates of freight now of force by the said
Association which is in the territory
south of the Potomac and Ohio, and east
of the Mississippi Rivers, are the result
of ten years of experiment modified by
d., a A
in the several States, and by appeals
from commercial bodies like our own,
representing the interests of the shippers.
your petitioners further represent
that the rates now of force as embodied
in the tariff of the Southern Railway
and Steamship Association are accepta-
bile to our shippers generally, and under
them trade has been established and
contracts for the purchase and sale of
commodities been entered into, and
sudden change would prove seriously
hurtful to the parties in interest.
I'VE are assured by the railway man
agement that under fear of the penalties
provided by the Interstate Commerce
law. their roads will be compelled to
largely increase their rates ON the 9th
instant. This will destroy the whole
system of rates upon which our South
ern manufacturing industries have been
founded, and disorganize and Daralyze
the trade centres upon and through
which wholesale dealers have estab-
lished their extended business.
thArafor. r.G,ArtfulIy natttinn
your honorable body to pass an order on
or before the 5th day of April inst, to
the effect that the schedule of rates in
the territory south of the Potomac and
Ohio and east of the Mississippi River,
80 far as these rates relate To inter state
commerce, be declared of force until the
further order of your honorable Com
mission. and that a reasonable time will
be given for further hearing and revis-
ion before any changes are put in force.
I'VE submit herewith the schedule of
rates of the Southern Railway and
Steamship Association to- which we have
referred. We also invite your attention
To the accompanying comparative state
ment which we have prepared, OF the
present rates, by which is shown the
great increase which will occur in the
rates to the principal points if the rail
ways put in force the rates they now un-
derstand the new law will require"
ENORMOUS INCREASE IN RATES.
The showing made by the comparative
statements submitted may be- Judged by
IL NJ,
Atlanta, Montgomery. Selma, Rome,
Dalton and Chattanooga will be increased
from 81. IA To 81 II; to Macon, from 81 90
to 81. .35; to Augusta, from 81. gj to x1.2l !:
from Cincinnati To- Atlanta, from 81 .03
to $l.26; to Macon and Augusta. from
S1.01 to x1.46.
The Chairman of the Commission.
Judge Cooley. remarked interogatively
that he understood the application To he.
in part at least, in support of the apphca-
ton which had been made by the rail-
road companies for permission to charge
less for long than for short hauls. Gov
ernor Bullock responded atfirmatively.
Atpresent, queried the Chairman, the
railroads are charging less for longer
than for shorter distances
Gov. Bullock said this was the ease
where IL was necessary To meet the CIR
cumstances of water transportation.
The chairman asked the opinion of the
committee with respect To the authority
of the Commission to- make the order
asked of them.
Gov Bullock replied that a. they read
the provisions of the fourth section they
understood the Commission had the au-
thority. The railroads, he added. had
informed them that unless they made
their rates at once they would be liable
TO penalties under the law. Contracts
had been made by merchants for de
livery three months hence. based upon
the rates which prevailed AT the time
Now, to- suddenly raise these rates
would prove disastrous.
A brief colioquy, during which. i'll re
ply to queries by Col. Walker and MIR
Morrison, the position of the committee II
respett to some details was elaborated
ended the hearing. The whole proceed
ing was an informality, a hearing being
granted at this time as favor To th'
gentlemen who had come from dis
tance to present their case No forma
consideration of this question or an,
other will be undertaken before the 5tl